It's not news to anyone that recruiters and employers use social media to explore the candidate pool. Millions of job seekers dive into this particular pool every day, some without making so much as a ripple on the surface.  If you really want to make a splash that gets noticed, you have to break through the clutter with a personal brand that attracts and impresses. If you are a job seeker, it is likely that you already know some basic facts:

The job market: it's highly competitive, very uncertain, and full of talented individuals seeking employment.

The employers: they are seeking the 'perfect fit' candidate, position descriptions are not always clear, and they increasingly want to 'try before they buy'.

The process: it is getting longer, more structured, and can seem like a black hole in terms of communication or feedback.

You probably also know that 'cyber-vetting' is on the rise, with 95% of employers reporting to Career Builder that they cyber-vett.  New figures show that recruiters are cyber-vetting to determine softer skills, such as personality, style, creativity, and communication skills; in addition to professional qualifications.  What you may not know is that hiring managers state they are more impressed with personal websites than any other tool. This is good news, since personal websites are a powerful way to help establish your personal brand.

Your personal brand telegraphs your key selling points and creates an awareness of your value.  Remember the Cs: clear, consistent, constant, catchy, and compelling. 

Clear: your personal brand must be readily understandable so that the reader doesn't have to work hard to figure out what you are trying to say.

Consistent: elements of your personal brand should appear in every aspect of your self-marketing approach, including your resume, your networking script, your introduction, your business cards, your bio, your blog, your social media profile, etc.

Constant: advertisers know that repetition of their message is mandatory for creating top of mind awareness for their brands and products. Even a spectacular ad, if only seen once, simply will not do the job.  

Catchy: personal brands should be arresting and memorable.

Compelling: the true test of a personal brand is its ability to be meaningful to the audience, reflecting a market positioning that will resonate with your target audience.

Take the time to develop a personal brand that makes you feel good about what you offer the market, wordsmith it, try it out, refine it, and manage it.  The right personal brand might be just what you need to execute that perfect dive into the job market talent pool, with grace and agility, creating the perfect ripple that extends your value beyond the horizon.